Beijing
Transportation Beijing 6 min read
Beijing Metro & Airport Express
From PEK or PKX to the city center, then across Beijing on 27 lines of spotless, English-signed metro for ¥3-9 a ride.
From the airport
Beijing has two airports: Capital (PEK) and Daxing (PKX). Both plug straight into the metro. From PEK, take the Airport Express (¥25, ~25 min) to Dongzhimen and transfer. From PKX, the Daxing Airport Express does it in 19 minutes.
Riding the metro
- Hours: 5:00am-11:00pm, every 3-5 minutes
- Fare: ¥3-9 by distance; buy a single-journey ticket at any machine (English toggle on screen)
- Lines: 27 and counting; signs and announcements are in English
Taxis & ride-hailing
Flagfall ¥13 for 3 km, then ¥2.30/km. Hail on the street or use DiDi — most drivers don't speak English, so show your destination in Chinese.
What to avoid
Don't take an unmetered taxi from the airport arrivals hall — walk to the official rank or take the express train.
Locals' Tip
Avoid the airport taxi line at rush hour — the Airport Express beats traffic and drops you straight onto the metro grid.
Locals' Crowd